New Rochelle, NY, November 20, 2012Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers announces the launch of Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the science and engineering of soft materials in mobile machines. The Journal breaks new ground as the first to answer the urgent need for research on robotic technology that can safely interact with living systems and function in complex natural or human-built environments. Soft Robotics will be published in print and online with Open Access options.

Multidisciplinary in scope, Soft Robotics combines advances in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, mathematical modeling, biopolymer chemistry, computer science, and tissue engineering to provide comprehensive coverage of new approaches to constructing devices that can undergo dramatic changes in shape and size in order to adapt to various environments. This new technology delivers vital applications for a variety of purposes, including surgery, assistive healthcare devices, search and rescue in emergency situations, space instrument repair, mine detection, and more. The Journal covers topics related to device development such as soft material creation, characterization, and modeling; flexible and degradable electronics; soft actuators and sensors; control and simulation of highly deformable structures; biomechanics and control of soft animals and tissues; biohybrid devices and living machines; and design and fabrication of conformable machines.

Soft Robotics is led by Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, Henry Bromfield Pearson Professor of Natural Sciences and the Director of the Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory at Tufts University. A distinguished team of Associate Editors includes John H. Long, Jr., Vassar College (biomechanics); Josh Bongard, University of Vermont (computer science and controls); Fumiya Iida, Swiss Institute of Robotics and Intelligence Systems (biorobotics); Qibing Pei, UCLA (materials development and applications); and Nanshu Lu, University of Texas (flexible electronics). Bill Ferguson, PhD from the Publisher will serve as Managing Editor.

"This powerful new journal provides a much-needed cross-discipline forum on the rapidly advancing science and engineering of Soft Robotics which has great potential for benefit to mankind and our world," says Dr. Trimmer.

Company founder and CEO Mary Ann Liebert comments, "Soft Robotics is an important and growing field with great promise; the Journal will make a significant contribution to the literature and also advance the field. Under the leadership of Dr. Barry Trimmer, this journal will play an important role in the advancement of soft robotic technologies and applications."